Sustainable Development of Port Cities from the Perspective of Transition Management

The strong and close relationship between the port and the city, which is often a consequence of historical circumstances, has become disrupted due to the negative impact of the port on the urban environment. The disruption of this relationship is forcing port city authorities worldwide to find effective methods to renew the port – city relationship. As an additional element to this complex relationship, the concept of sustainability is taken into consideration. Therefore, the relationship between the port and the city needs to be studied in compliance with economic, social and environmental criteria. This paper studies port and urban systems interdependently, as well as their integration into a sustainable whole. The dynamics of change in the port – city interface zone require careful planning and assessment before intervention and development. Accordingly, transition management is presented as a mechanism for renewing, coupling, and monitoring the relationship between the port and the city concerning their complex and dynamic nature. The paper’s key findings are based on the contribution of relevant economic, social, and environmental criteria through which the possibility of developing a systematic framework for a coordinated transition to a cooperative relationship between the port and the city from the perspective of sustainability is realized.